+ hAppI nAtI0nAl dAy +

+ hAppI nAtI0NaL dAy +

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!!! I love Singapore!!! I really do. The National Day Celebrations every year never fail to touch me. As I listen to the choir sing "Home" via tv, my mind couldn't help replaying lots of flashbacks, all those wonderful memories I had with my friends in Singapore, things I do, see, sing, say, which make me so proud being a Singaporean.

The first time I REALLY feel I'm a 100% Singaporean, when I feel I really belong to Singapore, when I feel I really love Singapore, is actually a few months ago when I went China, the first time outside Singapore via plane, which means, a place really far.

The moment I stepped foot on that foreign land, I'm beginning to miss home. Though everything reminded me of Singapore(even the tour guide said Guangzhou was modelled like Singapore), though everything there was cheaper, though the chinese were such friendly people, though it's clean and big and, yeah, the toilets have doors, I really prefer Singapore.

Why?

The main reason, which surprised even myself, is actually........ CURRY!!!! Oh my goodness!! I actually miss eating curry and hot stuff on just my fourth day there!! I thought I would love chinese food, because I'm a salty freak! I loves salty food, and that's what chinese food are famous for! Well, I did enjoy the food there, BUT i actually missed the curry smell and spicy taste back home!! That's when I realized, I'm really a Singaporean. The unqiue multi-racial culture was already fused into me the moment I was borned onto the land of Singapore. And besides curry, which I had for three consequtive days right after my return to make up for that 10 curry-less days, I missed

1) my family: though my mum was with me, but I still miss my beloved dad n bros, though irritating they might b at times

2) my friends to share my joy with: i left them back home missing me.. lolx... n one of my friends actually needed my help for something and I wasn't there for her.. so sorry... but we still managed to contact through sms, so it wasn't too bad

3) the language: Not that I'm really proud of Broken Singlish (note: Singlish is NOT equal to Broken English, so imagine Broken Singlish? Haiz!) but at least I can still understand and communicate. The people in Guangzhou all spoke Cantonese, which really pissed my off coz I REALLY don't understand! DUHZ!

4) the potable water: I'm not a fan of NEWater really, and I still can't bring myself to down one mouthful of it, but I'm so used to the water in Singapore, I always drink straight from the tap, to save the trouble of boiling the water of coz! yeah.. the act of a slacker... watever!! Anyway, in China, I don't even dare to drink BOILED water (i'm surprised I didn't get dehydrated, oh yah, I dranks lots of mineral water..)

Oh and there's a lot more. Okay, it's not that China is a bad place. It's really a very nice place, and there's also many areas which Singapore is not comparable to, but I just feel that Home still feels the best. And just those above are enough to fulfil the lyrics in chinese version of "Home"
......wo de jia... shou chang... wo de huan xi bei shang......

And guess what? When I saw Ah-du on the advertisement advertising about the "Uniquely Singapore" on the tv in China, I was so surprised and happy that I actually screamed for my mum to hurry come and see! And when I see Stephanie Sun's pic endorsed on a drink bottle in a supermart there, I was so excited that I bought the drink immediately! My happiness and reaction was even greater than when I saw F4's larger-than-life pepsi poster on the street! What I felt was like, Oh! It feels ssoooooo great to see a fellow Singaporean whom I know out here in this foreign place in the middle of nowhere, even though it's just a photo or image. I know it's a bit exaggerated, since I'm not even a crazy fan of Ah-du and Steph, and I don't know them in person, and the fact that I went to China with a tour of REAL Singaporeans, but I really feel consoled to 'see' the 2 of them in that lonely and friendless place. The sense of belonging. And I'm really proud of them, that their names actually reached out so far in Asia. That's probably why I felt so touched and my heart connected when the NDP showed a few clips of Singaporeans in foreign lands shouting out their best wishes for Singapore just now on tv. You can really feel.... that sense of belonging, that they really want to celebrate our nation's birthday with their families and friends back on our homeland.
This is the country, the place I truly belong, where I'm proud to be. Because only this unqiue place gives all the unique stuffs to the unique ME!
......shu yu zi ji... shu yu ni wo de tian di... you ai you meng you qing... hai you cheng zhang sui yue de dian di... jiao zhi wo wun xin yi ji......

Every year, I never fail to wear red tops on 8th and 9th Aug, whether I leave my house or not. I simply embask in my own joyous atmosphere of the national celebrations. Call it my imagination, my illusion or what, I can always see and feel... the air everywhere around me that is so dense with joy and happiness, the pride that WE, the citizens of Singapore, have come so far together! It's every Singaporean's birthday today!!! Hear!! Hear!!

Let's reach out for the sky, with wings we soar up high!!

As I watched the NDP just now, I really missed Rene. One may say, like I would in my earlier years, it's so silly to go there and squeeze with thousands of people and see tiny 'ants' moving around. But it's wrong! It's the atmosphere that makes the difference! I really missed that feeling. Rene, do you still remember how we cheered and waved our Singapore flags so madly, blocking everyone's view behind us, even though the whole block of them was like so still and quiet, making a fool out of ourselves and worrying if we would get battered to death? Hahaa... And how we sang the National Anthem at full attention and sang on top of our voices using diaphram and with so much emotions at the Singapore songs and in the end lost our voices?? And the pledge-making with such sincerity? How we waved at the President as he made his round as if he was some great superstar? How we made poor Kain sing and wave his flag though he was so paiseh? And the 'WOW' feeling as we watched the jets zooming past, the parachuters as they landed, oh! and the magnificent fireworks exploding, sprinkling the magical sparkles across the sky right on top of us!! Lolx...

They were all such fond memories.. National Day is like this, a day where families and friends gather to celebrate. Last year was with friends, this year with my family. For the first time in don't know how many months, my family finally sat down together for a meal as we watched the NDP on tv. It really reminded me of Chinese New Year.
Rene, it's okay if we can't get the tix this year and I'm sorry that you were down with flu... but nevermind! there's always next year, next next year, next next next year and more and more!! Singapore will go on forever and more!!!!!!

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!

( I got so excited watching the military vehicles and artillery parade that I might just join the Armed Forces after graduation after all!! =D )
Now, that's really something for every Singaporean to worry about. Hahaha!! =P